A personal journal of film and documentary reviews, and reviews of anything else that intrigues me.
Sidney Lumet, “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975) A character study featuring stunning acting from lead actor Al Pacino, this film captures the jaded atmosphere of a post-hippie…
Ali Asgari, “The Baby / Bacheh” (2014) In the space of 16 minutes, we’re drawn into a gritty world of urban bleakness and desperation that is…
British Films, North American Films
Simon Curtis, “Goodbye Christopher Robin” (2017) A film about English playwright / author A A Milne and the circumstances in which he was inspired to write…
Pennant Roberts, “Doctor Who: Shada” (2017) Not often do particular adventures in the long-running “Doctor Who” television series which first ran from 1963 to 1988 and…
Rupert Sanders, “Ghost in the Shell” (2017) In adapting a major Japanese anime series into a potentially lucrative movie franchise, Hollywood opted for a standard origin…
Italian and Italian-language Films
Gian Micalessin, “Ukraine: the Hidden Truth” (2017) A short but very pithy Italian documentary, “Ukraine …” focuses on the notorious episode in Kiev in mid-February 2014…
Takashi Miike, “Blade of the Immortal” (2017) Condensed from 30 volumes of manga into a single work of about 140 minutes, this film was probably always…
Tim Wilkime, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 16: Adam Ruins the Future)” (2017) As the last episode of its season, “Adam Ruins the Future” should…
Kenneth Branagh, “Murder on the Orient Express ” (2017) At least superficially this film is quite enjoyable to see Agatha Christie’s famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot…
Laura Murphy, “Adam Ruins Everything (Season 2, Episode 15: Adam Ruins Science)” (2017) Television programs about science and scientific studies may abound in many forms (as…